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Summary of detection and response data from source water contamination incidents
Citation:
Hall, J., Jeff Szabo, S. Witt, N. Sojda, B. Murugesan, AND D. Schupp. Summary of detection and response data from source water contamination incidents. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-22/067, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Little data exists on the detection of contamination in above ground source water (e.g. lakes, rivers, etc) used to make potable water. This data is important to a variety of stakeholders since it can help determine which sensor parameters are capable of detecting contamination at a specific concentration level, as well as providing a warning to water treatment managers at a downstream water utility. This data can help state, local, and utility personnel determine if it is worth investing in the deployment of a sensor to a source water location for the purpose of detecting spills or other methods of contaminant introduction. The most straight forward response to a detected contaminant flowing in a source water may be to close the water intake until the contamination passes. In order to collect this data, bench-scale experiments were conducted to observe the response of in situ water quality sensors to a selected set of contaminants at concentrations that are potential threats to the source water supply in two different test waters. The information obtained was then used to develop tabular summaries for each combination of water source, contaminant, and water quality sensors. Data contained in these tables can be used as part of the decision-making process for deploying a sensor to a source water environment for detection of contamination.
Description:
This report summarizes a research study on detection of contamination in source waters using on-line water quality sensors. In this study, source water is untreated water from lakes or rivers. This water will be treated to make potable drinking water. Should an event like an accidental spill take place in source water, on-line sensor can provide early warning that a spill occurred and the location of the spill as it travels through the water body. However, little data exists on whether on-line sensor parameter change in the presence of contamination. The purpose of this study is to provide sensor response data from two common source waters which have been contaminated with chemicals and other species which could affect source water quality.